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Thursday, September 19, 2013

5 must-see Oahu historic sites you haven't been to yet

It’s not uncommon to walk right past an important archaeological site on Oahu and not even know it.

It happens all the time in Waikiki.

Right
outside of a police substation on Kalakaua Avenue, near the beachside
statue of Hawaii Olympian Duke Kahanamoku, stands a cluster of rocks.
Most people walk right past the four stones, surrounded by a metal
fence. Actually healing stones, the pohaku (sacred stones) are a part of Hawaiian history and culture.

The
legend of the pohaku tells of four healers—Kapaemahu, Kapuni, Kinohi
and Kahaloa—who arrived from Tahiti, settled in Waikiki and became
renowned throughout Oahu. Eventually planning their return to Tahiti,
the healers wanted their presence and power to remain on Oahu in a
tangible form. So they placed their healing powers—or mana—in each of these stones to be used by the Hawaiian people in their absence.

The
stones were lost for decades and later found after the demolition of a
bowling alley in 1958. (They were used in the building’s foundation.)
The stones were relocated to Waikiki’s Kuhio Beach in 1963, then moved
in 1980 to where they remain today.

Inaccruately called “wizarding stones,” this important archaeological site is now called Na Pohaku Ola Kapaemahu a Kapuni.

Travel
around Oahu and you’ll find even more culturally and historically
significant sites. Some are more accessible than others, but all are
worth visiting.

Here are five to get you started:

Ulupo Heiau State Historic Site

You wouldn’t expect to find a heiau
(a Hawaiian temple) right behind a YMCA. But that’s exactly where
you’ll find Ulupo Heiau, the second-largest such temple on Oahu.

The
structure, located in the Windward Oahu town of Kailua, measures 140
feet by 180 feet with walls up to 30 feet in height. Built on the
eastern edge of protected Kawai Nui Marsh, another site important to the
Hawaiian culture, Ulupo Heiau may be more than 400 years old.

According
to legend, the heiau was built by menehune (a legendary race of little
people in the Islands). Oahu chiefs such as Kakuhihewa and Kualii
participated in ceremonies at this sacred site, later abandoned in the
1780s when O‘ahu was conquered by Kamehameha the Great. The structure’s
origins may have been as an agricultural heiau, with springs feeding
crops of taro, sweet potato and banana. Kualii, however, may have
converted it in his time to a heiau luakini (sacrificial temple), with an altar, an oracle tower and wooden images.

He‘eia Fishpond

A
short drive north on the Windward Oahu coast from Ulupo Heiau is
another historic site that anyone can visit, tour and, on certain days
in the summer, fish.

One of Oahu’s most historic Hawaiian
fishponds, He‘eia Fishpond hosts community fishing events over several
days each summer, where people can cast their fishing rods into the
800-year-old fishpond, currently under restoration.

A source of
food for ancient Hawaiians who lived in this area, the walled fishpond
encloses 88 acres of brackish water. It is built on a fringing reef
extending from the shoreline into Kaneohe Bay. The ocean-facing wall of
the fishpond is 1.3 miles long, forming a circle around it.

The
nonprofit Paepae O Heeia (www.paepaeoheeia.org) cares for, protects and
is in the midst of restoring this natural resource. The organization
offers two types of fishpond tours: a one-hour guided walking tour and
three-hour field trips for larger group. The three-hour trips include a
service project working in the fishpond.

Kukaoo Heiau

Located
in the backyard of one of Oahu’s most prominent homes, Kukaoo Heiau in
urban Honolulu’s Manoa Valley is an ancient agricultural temple believed
built hundreds of years ago by the valley’s earliest Hawaiian
residents.

Restored in 1933, the heiau neighbors a Tudor revival style residence built in 1911 and also considered a historic site.

The
nonprofit Mānoa Heritage Center (808-988-1287,
www.manoaheritagecenter.org), which is housed on the property, offers
one-hour guided tours of the historic home and this heiau.

Perched
on the Pupukea cliffs above Waimea Valley and Bay, and believed to be
more than 400 year sold, the heiau is comprised of three adjoining
walled enclosures covering nearly two acres. The temple was once an
important element of the social, political and religious systems of the
valley’s earliest Hawaiian residents.

Kukaniloko Birthstone State Monument is located on a five-acre field in the central Oahu’s upland Wahiawa town, considered the piko
(Hawaiian for “belly button”) of the island. The roughly 180 lava-rock
stones of the monument, once used as a royal birthsite, are believed to
possess the power to ease the labor pains of childbirth. It is also
estimated to be more than 900 years-old.

Tips for visiting Hawaii archeological sites:

Hawai‘i’s
archeological sites are fragile and subject to damage and collapse. Pay
proper respect these historic and cultural places by following these
tips.• Learn some history before you go. Doing some
research on the culture and history of these sites before you visit is
always a good idea. Many of the sites lack interpretative signs or
brochures, so learning a bit about their importance will give you a
great appreciation for and deeper connection to the site.

• Be quiet.
Being respectful of these sites—many of them sacred to Hawaiians—is
important. Sometimes, that means taking in everything you see in
silence.

• Visit from the outside. This is particularly
true for places with rock walls. Don’t climb on the walls or over them
as the stacked rocks may be unstable and collapse.

• Don’t take anything. It’s
unlawful to take, excavate, destroy or alter any historic site on state
land. Any person who violates this law is subject to a fine of $10,000.

• Don’t leave anything. It’s
not appropriate to leave offerings at these historic and cultural
sites. No rocks wrapped in ti leaves. No incense. No bottles of alcohol.
This is not appropriate.

1 comment:

I really enjoyed reading this. You're right, majority of Oahu's visitors don't even know about these natural and historical treasures, which is a shame because all of them are worth a visit when touring Oahu.

I especially find the 800-year-old He'eia Fishpond interesting. And the fact that it once served as the source of food for ancient Hawaiians living in the area only makes it even more exciting to explore. I hope everyone planning to visit Oahu, Hawaii will have the chance to read your article so they can check out these archaeological sites.